Congressman Wants Government To Make Sure iPod Won't Hurt His Hearing

from the what-did-you-say-now? dept

It's been nearly a year since we first reported that some doctors were warning that iPods can make you go deaf. No one paid much attention to it until a few weeks ago when The Who's guitarist Pete Townsend warned iPod users that they'd soon be as deaf as he was. He blames the use of headphones in the studio all the time, playing down the tremendously loud concerts he was playing in many nights in a row, which maybe (just maybe) also had something to do with it. Either way, with a non-endorsement like that, it was only a matter of time until Congress woke up. A Congressman from Massachussetts has now asked the National Institute of Health to officially determine if blasting music via headphones from MP3 players is damaging the hearing of today's youth. He'd better hurry up. Apparently, Senator Ted Stevens has been rocking out to his brand new iPod and it's influencing his thoughts on new RIAA sponsored legislation.

lol!

Re: lol!

But seriously... The RIAA is way too big for it's own good. It's head is bloated with self importance, and it's many tentacles invade our very homes. But, if it keeps up the way it is going, they may find that each of those tentacles is holding a firearm that is pointed directly at it's own foot. They seem to be unaware that by their own actions they are on a road to their own demise, at their own hands. Who are we to stop them? Give them enough rope...

Re: lol! (it's versus its)

No Subject Given

My sister-in-law is an audiologist and I was talking to her about this whole ipod thing.. It's a bunch of crap. Of course if you turn the volume up too loud it can damage your ears just like anything with loud volume but normal use doesn't affect your hearing in any way.

No Subject Given

Tinnitus is awful and unrelenting

I am 48 years old and everywhere I go sounds like a server room. This is the result of exposure to loud noises: motorcycles, concerts, and the like.I have trouble hearing conversations over the noise. There is no way I can carry on a conversation in a restaurant or other place where many people are talking at once.It interferes with my ability to sleep. In the middle of the night it's like having a million mosquitos in the room with you.There is no cure.Please everyone, be careful of your hearing. You do not want to be in my situation.

The gist: because of the way they fit in the ear, but don't block external sounds, people are more likely to use damaging volume levels. The article suggests traditional over-the-ear headphones (as Townshend used, no doubt) are better.

I prefer a pair rubbery Sony earbuds, which tend to seal out other noise very well. At a normal listening volume, when the earbuds are out of my ears on my desk, nothing can be heard from them -- in contrast to iPod earbuds, which even when in someone else's ears can often be heard across a room.

Being on stage

I have been on stage, and almost all thevolume goes to the crowd. As a result,you hear very little sound. Ironically it is notuncommon to add speaker pointing at thestage to get a reasonable feedback asto what the audience is experiencing.